Naruto: The Legend of Red Haired Shanks

Just hearing that man's voice sent a wave of excitement through the hearts of every pirate on the battlefield. 

Red-Haired Shanks. In this era, that name carried a completely different meaning. 

If Orochimaru's arrival felt like a mythical being descending upon the world, shaking everyone to their core and shattering their understanding of reality— 

Then Shanks' arrival was something else entirely. 

Whether it was pirates, ninjas, or even the soldiers, when they saw Orochimaru, they only felt fear—fear of a dragon, fear of such an overwhelming force. 

Beyond that, they had no other thoughts. 

But when Shanks appeared, everything changed. 

Everyone had a clear understanding of who Shanks was—especially the pirates. 

Because the power Shanks represented was—**the strongest!!** 

That was something every pirate agreed on. But this "strongest" also had a strange quality to it. 

Even though everyone knew Shanks was the strongest man, when he appeared, the pirates still felt a fire ignite inside them—wanting to challenge the strongest. 

That was what made Shanks different. His strength wasn't about crushing the weak; it was about standing at the top, waiting for others to grow strong enough to challenge him. 

"It stopped!" 

Kakashi looked up at the sky. The raging storm from before had suddenly gone quiet. 

The lightning had vanished, the rolling thunderclouds had settled, and only the rain continued to fall silently. 

"What exactly is Shanks' Devil Fruit ability?" 

On the other side, Ross Jess was secretly shocked. This power… it felt completely different from that dragon's presence. 

"His Conqueror's Haki completely overpowered the opponent's, even suppressing it entirely. So this is Shanks?" 

"But what kind of ability does that man have to be this terrifying?" 

Ross Jess had his own thoughts, and at that moment, his gaze shifted toward the pirate ship resting on a distant sand dune. 

"The Peak Family?" 

The Peak Family had once been notorious black-market arms dealers. Remembering their background, Ross Jess decided to head in that direction. 

Meanwhile, the one-eyed ghost dragon smirked as he noticed the shift in the battlefield. 

"Cheh, what divine dragon? In front of that man, it's nothing." 

"After all, that's Red-Haired Shanks we're talking about." 

"The strongest name, the pioneer of the New World—he's not someone to be taken lightly." 

"..." 

The pirates under the one-eyed ghost dragon all voiced their agreement. At this moment, everyone's attention was locked onto the upcoming battle. 

The strongest creature? 

They were about to find out if this so-called strongest creature could stand against the strongest man. 

Even though they had a feeling they already knew the answer, the pirates still hoped for an unexpected turn of events. 

It didn't matter if tricks or schemes were involved—if someone had used a Devil Fruit to take things this far, then they wanted to see just how strong this so-called ultimate creature really was. 

At the center of the battlefield— 

Two figures dropped from the sky. 

Step!! 

The sand beneath their feet was still scorching hot. Even though it was raining, the heat from the battle had kept the raindrops from touching the ground. 

Around Orochimaru, even the sand had started to melt. 

"Shanks, I'll leave the rest to you." 

Shisui collapsed to the ground. Blood was seeping from beneath his skin, and his body trembled uncontrollably. 

"Just rest here for now. Someone at Orochimaru's level isn't someone you guys can handle yet." 

Shanks spoke calmly. 

Shisui wasn't seriously injured—he had simply burned through all his energy, draining himself completely, even at the cost of his life force. 

For someone who had already "died" once, Shisui could push his body past its limits—but that wasn't a good habit to have. 

As for Orochimaru… Sure, he had been beaten badly by Itachi before, but in some ways, he could completely overpower Itachi. 

As one of the legendary Sannin, Orochimaru had a deep foundation of knowledge and power. 

The things he once pursued had a limit. 

But now, he had broken past that limit, turning all his accumulated knowledge into true strength. 

But… 

"It worked." 

Shanks turned to look at Orochimaru in the distance. At this moment, Orochimaru was once again floating in midair. 

The wild, beast-like madness in his eyes had been completely suppressed. Facing Shanks, he didn't dare let his guard down for even a second. 

"Shanks, as expected of a pioneer of the New World. Such overwhelming Conqueror's Haki… it's terrifying." 

 Orochimaru's voice echoed like thunder across the sky. 

The voice of a dragon naturally carried an air of authority, but within that imposing tone, there was also recognition—perhaps even a hint of caution toward Shanks. 

"However, relying too much on your Conqueror's Haki might not be a good thing." 

"I possess the absolute peak of Armament Haki, along with strong Observation Haki. With all three types of Haki combined, and a body that surpasses the limits of this world itself…" 

"Shanks, I am not weaker than you!!" 

Orochimaru roared. 

At this moment, he could clearly sense the gap between himself and Shanks. 

His Conqueror's Haki was completely overpowered. His Observation Haki didn't stand a chance. The only possible advantage he had was the Armament Haki he had refined through his Six Paths-level power. 

Aside from that, his greatest strength lay in his body—an unimaginably powerful physique that far exceeded the limits of this world. 

Even when hit by Susano'o's attacks, Orochimaru's body remained completely unharmed. 

"Is that so?" 

"But… my sword isn't dull either." 

Facing Orochimaru in the distance, Shanks smiled genuinely. 

Finally, things weren't so boring anymore. 

At last, beneath the waves of this new era, someone had caught up to him. 

At that moment, Orochimaru could clearly feel it—Shanks' usual carefree aura had completely disappeared. 

Even though Shanks had the body of an ordinary man, the pressure he exuded felt as if it could crush him. 

Boom!! 

Black and red lightning exploded outward. Ripples of dark energy radiated from Shanks, spreading in waves. 

The ground cracked instantly, and the ancient ruins of Roran behind him—the very place where the dragon vein had been continuously erupting—were caught in the impact of his presence. 

The massive pillar of chakra shattered into countless pixel-like fragments before vanishing into thin air. 

Orochimaru's pupils shrank. 

The dragon vein—its power had been shattered!!! 

He had pushed himself to the absolute limit just to cross that threshold. The power of the dragon vein represented the will of the world itself. 

Everything he had fought so hard to obtain… yet Shanks had erased it so effortlessly. 

"Impossible!!" 

Orochimaru opened his massive jaws, and the Kusanagi Sword once again emerged from his mouth. 

In an instant, it grew into a colossal blade, nearly a hundred meters long, clamped tightly between his teeth. 

At the same time, a black and red flash shot straight toward Orochimaru. 

Orochimaru, gripping the giant sword in his mouth, unleashed a downward slash, his blade also crackling with dark lightning. 

The Kusanagi Sword—this was the sacred weapon of Ryuchi Cave, a true divine blade. 

Now, in his dragon form, Orochimaru had fully mastered this sword. 

An unrivaled force. A legendary sword. 

There was no way a mere samurai blade could stop it. 

"Cut!!" 

A raging fire burst from Orochimaru's mouth, engulfing the giant sword just as it came slashing down. 

"Clang!!" 

Shanks' katana clashed with the Kusanagi sword in Orochimaru's mouth. Black and red lightning exploded between them, instantly blowing out the flames on the Kusanagi sword. 

At the same time, two pitch-black swords appeared between them. 

Crack!! 

Below them, the ground shattered into pieces, and even the sky seemed to break, with the clouds sinking further upward. 

Dense black and red lightning crackled between the two, forming a dark red boundary at the point where their blades met, keeping them apart. 

"Clang… he blocked it!" 

"He actually blocked it." 

"…" 

Seeing the scene from a distance, all the pirates were stunned. 

None of them had ever imagined that Shanks' attack could actually be stopped. 

"That's one of the Three Great Swords—the Kusanagi Sword." 

"And as a divine dragon, he can bring out its full power." 

"What terrifying strength!!" 

On the other hand, the ninjas saw things completely differently. 

They had no idea why the pirates were so shocked. Do these pirates even understand what Shanks is facing? 

A divine dragon wielding a legendary weapon—the strongest creature from mythology paired with the strongest sword—yet all it could do was block Shanks' attack. 

"So this is… what the pirates call the Four Emperors?" 

"Red-Haired Shanks… is this guy even human?" 

To the knowledgeable ninjas, the real monster wasn't Orochimaru anymore—it was Shanks. 

The sheer contrast in what they were witnessing was far more shocking than the battle between Shisui and Orochimaru. 

Susano'o was already considered an incredible power from legend. 

Everyone involved was using legendary-level abilities, and their sizes weren't that different, making it seem like a fair match. 

But now… how do you explain this? 

Shanks' body size wasn't even as tall as the tip of the Kusanagi sword. 

Everyone froze, though for completely different reasons. 

Outside the battlefield, a white "barrier" had formed, completely cutting off the rain. 

This unbelievable sight burned itself into everyone's memory. 

"Boom!!" 

The next moment, the rain curtain shattered, and a terrifying shockwave blasted outward from the battlefield. 

The onlookers outside turned pale and quickly unleashed their abilities to block the impact. 

Fortunately, the weaker ones had already moved to a safer distance. 

But at the center of the battlefield, Orochimaru was completely unable to comprehend what was happening. 

"No way… Are you mocking me, Shanks?!"

Orochimaru's claws, covered in Armament Haki, lunged straight at Shanks. 

"Show me your true strength. Let me see what kind of power the Devil Fruit of the strongest man really has." 

With a powerful strike, he sent Shanks flying backward, roaring in anger. 

He wasn't here to be a joke. Right now, he was fighting Shanks. 

Everyone already knew about Shanks' mastery of the three types of Haki and his swordsmanship. 

But there was still one mystery surrounding Shanks—his Devil Fruit ability. 

No one in the ninja world, not even Zabuza, knew what kind of fruit Shanks had eaten. 

As for how Shanks could fight on the ocean, it was because he had mastered the Six Powers of the pirates. Using Moonwalk, he could move without touching the water. 

The only person who knew Shanks wasn't a Devil Fruit user was probably Dark. 

Other than him, everyone in the ninja world naturally assumed that Shanks must have an incredibly powerful Devil Fruit. 

"A Devil Fruit power? Orochimaru, I never said I ate a Devil Fruit." 

Standing firmly on the ground, Shanks faced Orochimaru. 

Orochimaru's Armament Haki was strong—or rather, Shanks' own Armament Haki wasn't strong enough to completely counter it. 

"But I guess it's time to get serious." 

Shanks' words made Orochimaru freeze for a moment. 

Shanks… really didn't have a Devil Fruit ability?? 

He was this strong just by relying on his own strength? 

"You're not a Devil Fruit user? I really can't understand your way of thinking. But if that's the case, don't blame me for what happens next." 

Orochimaru didn't hold back either. He had thought Shanks might have some kind of hidden trump card, but since that wasn't the case, he had no reason to show mercy. 

"Full Armament Haki!!" 

In the next instant, both of their voices rang out at the same time. 

Orochimaru's entire body was now completely covered in Armament Haki. 

At the same time, Shanks' katana, which was already coated in jet-black Armament Haki, now had streaks of crimson appearing within it. 

If they were going all out, then neither of them would hold back. 

The real fight was just beginning! 

Shanks took a step forward and disappeared from sight. 

A massive slash, over a hundred meters long, cut through the air toward Orochimaru. 

At this moment, Shanks' true power was on full display. 

It wasn't just his Conqueror's Haki—he was also the strongest swordsman in the ninja world. 

"Such a weak attack!!" 

Orochimaru scoffed and twisted his body, dodging with ease. 

What a joke. He wasn't stupid. Who would take a direct hit from Shanks' attack? 

Of course, that didn't stop him from acting smug. 

"You won't be able to dodge this one, Orochimaru!!" 

Shanks appeared in midair, his katana swinging once more. 

A terrifying slash burst forth again, cutting through everything in its path. 

As long as I don't say the name of the move, it's just a normal attack. 

But after this strike, an even stronger technique is already building up. 

"Is that all?" 

Orochimaru's massive sword blocked Shanks' attack once again. 

His enormous body twisted, and his massive tail came crashing down toward Shanks. 

With his overwhelming size, every one of Orochimaru's attacks carried terrifying power. 

If he could just get close to Shanks, then the victory would surely be his!! 

But in the next moment, that chilling feeling returned—just like the first time facing the will of the world itself. 

"Divine Departure!"